3 Dental Care Tips to Keep in Mind When You’re Pregnant

Congratulations!! You are pregnant.

With this new blessing, comes some new challenges. Taking care of your dental health

should be an essential routine in your pregnancy journey.

Pregnant women tend to have increase food cravings, especially to carbohydrate and sugar rich food, causing rapid development of tooth decay.

Here are some tips on how to care for your oral health:

#1: Regular dental check ups

In fear of harming the baby, some pregnant women skip their routine visits to the dentist during pregnancy. Unfortunately, this poor decision actually puts their little one at risk. During pregnancy, hormonal changes make women more susceptible to gum disease “Pregnancy Gingivitis” and cavities. The resulting infections can potentially affect the baby indirectly, and it often increases your risk of a miscarriage or premature birth.

You can prevent this from occurring by watching for the early warning signs, including:

Sensitive gums and teeth that lead to difficulty chewing
Bleeding gums
Redness and swelling
Bad breath
Loose teeth
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to visit your dentist for a regular dental cleaning for plaque removal to provide you with healthy gums and to ensure that your dental health will not trigger any additional health problems.

#2: Smart oral care

Brushing the teeth with fluoridated toothpaste twice per day and regular flossing will provide a healthy mouth. But with morning sickness it could be more challenging to brush your teeth. Morning sickness can cause frequent vomiting. This vomiting brings stomach acid into your mouth, so immediately brushing your teeth after nausea and vomiting could lead to dental erosion.

How to avoid it? Rinse your mouth with a diluted solution of one cup of warm water and one teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda) after reflux to neutralize the effect of the stomach acid. Then wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.

#3: Control food cravings

Some food maybe harmful for your teeth. Sugary snacks and acidic drinks may cause tooth decay and teeth erosion respectively. Having snacks rich in fibers and eating dairy food containing calcium and minerals; are both beneficial for your dental health and baby’s developing teeth and bones.

PresiDental Esthetics (PDE) Team have one wish that you enjoy your pregnancy, but don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget about your dental health. Most dental work is safe to have during your pregnancy and should be taken care of if diagnosed while you’re pregnant. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees that procedures like cavity fillings and crowns are safe during pregnancy to prevent potential infection.